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00:00:00 – 00:19:13
The YouTube video provides a comprehensive review of Acer's Nitro 5 gaming laptop, emphasizing its budget-friendly nature and various upgrades. The laptop features an Intel Core i7-12700H, Nvidia RTX 3060, and 16GB DDR4 RAM with a 15.6” 1080p 144Hz screen. While it has a plastic build with some flex, it offers significant performance improvements compared to previous models, especially due to Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs. Key features include multiple ports, a MUX switch, and dual-channel RAM, although the laptop has a mediocre 720p camera, limited color gamut, and lacks advanced screen features like adaptive sync. The Nitro 5 excels in gaming, outperforming competitors in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2, thanks to a high GPU power limit and effective thermal management through shared heatpipes and multiple exhaust vents.
However, the video notes several drawbacks such as a wobbly screen, loud fans, and short battery life. The laptop’s cooling system works well in performance mode but becomes excessively noisy. While the Nitro 5 offers advantages like Type-C charging and a 2.5” drive bay, its outdated screen and slower memory are highlighted as areas for potential improvement. Performance in content creation tasks, such as Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve, is commendable, though Blender results are less impressive compared to other RTX 3060 laptops.
The reviewer suggests considering alternatives like the Helios 300 for those willing to spend a bit more for better overall performance and features. The Nitro 5 starts at $800, but higher-spec models can become pricey, putting them in competition with Acer's more powerful laptops. Ultimately, the Nitro 5 is presented as a solid budget-oriented option with notable improvements but some considerable limitations.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the presenter reviews Acer’s Nitro 5 gaming laptop, emphasizing its budget-friendly nature and new improvements. The laptop features an all-black plastic build with a glitter effect and red and blue lines on the lid. Despite some flex, the build quality is deemed acceptable. The screen can open to 145 degrees, and although the lid is sturdy, it wobbles when the table is bumped. It’s easy to clean smudges due to its smooth surface. Weighing 2.5kg (5.5lb) and 3.3kg (7.3lb) with its charger, it remains portable. The reviewed configuration includes an Intel Core i7-12700H, Nvidia RTX 3060, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a 15.6” 1080p 144Hz screen. It also has a 720p camera (without Windows Hello), a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, and a responsive touchpad. Ports include a Kensington lock, gigabit ethernet, USB Type-A, and a 3.5mm combo jack on the left, with two more USB Type-A ports on the right.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the reviewer details the ports and connectivity options on the back of the laptop, including a power input, a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, and an HDMI 2.1 output. Notably, the Type-C port can charge the laptop at 15 watts but has limitations with external screens depending on whether optimus is enabled or disabled. Additionally, they explain the process of opening the laptop, revealing internal components like the RAM, battery, two SSD slots, a Wi-Fi 6 card, and more. They highlight that the included slower DDR4 memory can be upgraded for better performance, and point out some limitations with fitting a larger 2TB M.2 SSD. Lastly, they touch upon Wi-Fi performance, noting that it varies between Intel and AMD versions of the laptop, and mention a slight reduction in the upgradeability score due to the restrictions of the second M.2 slot.
00:06:00
In this segment, the discussion revolves around the Acer Nitro laptop, highlighting various aspects including battery life, sound quality, and thermals. The Nitro features a 2.5″ drive bay for expansion and a 4-cell 57Wh battery, which results in relatively short battery life under 4 hours. The laptop’s speakers, located on the underside corners, offer decent sound quality with some bass and clear high volume, better than the Helios 300. The thermals are managed with shared heatpipes between the CPU and GPU, two fans, and multiple exhaust vents. The Nitro Sense software allows performance mode adjustments, including fan speeds and GPU overclocking. During stress tests, thermal throttling was noted in quiet mode, but other modes maintained excellent temperatures. Interestingly, setting fans to the maximum slightly increased temperatures, and using a cooling pad didn’t help much. CPU performance remained consistent across modes due to power limitations while the GPU power limit in performance mode was quite high for an RTX 3060 laptop.
00:09:00
In this segment, the speaker discusses the performance of a laptop under various conditions. Despite a lower CPU power limit, the laptop performs well in games. The CPU runs higher when the GPU is idle, showing lower overall results compared to other 14-core laptops. Performance decreases significantly on battery power, with poor single-core scores. The laptop’s cooling performance is evaluated across different modes, noting that it stays cool in performance mode but becomes very loud. A cooling pad slightly reduces fan noise. The segment also covers the screen, highlighting the addition of a MUX switch in the 2022 model and its impact on performance and user experience, as well as the limited color gamut and lack of adaptive sync features, making it adequate but not exceptional for gaming.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the reviewer discusses the limitations and performance of the laptop for content creation and gaming. The brightness does not reach the desired 300 nits, and the screen response time is slow at 17.62ms with no overdrive mode. Despite using the same panel as the previous year’s Nitro 5, it shows about a 10ms faster latency due to improvements like a MUX switch, dual-channel memory, and a better CPU. In gaming tests, the Nitro 5 performs well, outrunning competitors like the Legion 5 and TUF A15, likely due to its Intel 12th gen CPU. It shows a significant FPS boost over last year’s model in Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2, even beating higher-tier models like last year’s Helios 300 with RTX 3070. However, in a GPU-heavy game like Control, other high-powered 3060 laptops outperformed it slightly. Performance modes showed that high frame rates could be achieved without running loud fans. Finally, 3DMark results and content creator tests are mentioned.
00:15:00
In this segment, the video discusses performance testing and feature evaluations of the Nitro laptop using different benchmarks and tools. The Nitro closely matches the performance of Acer’s Helios 300 with an RTX 3070, likely benefiting from Intel’s 12th-gen CPU improvements. Adobe Premiere and Photoshop tests showcase significant gains, and the Nitro performs well in GPU-intensive tasks like DaVinci Resolve, comparable to Dell’s G15 with RTX 3070 Ti. Blender results are less impressive, trailing other RTX 3060 laptops.
The video touches on professional workloads through SPECviewperf tests and highlights the limited but functional BIOS, which includes the option to disable Optimus. Linux compatibility is partially tested, showing mixed results with peripherals and keyboard shortcuts.
Pricing and availability are also discussed: the Nitro 5 starts at $800, but configurations with higher specs increase the cost, making some models seem overpriced compared to similar offerings from Acer’s Helios 300 line. The newer Nitro model comes with enhancements like a MUX switch, better GPU power limits, dual channel RAM, Type-C charging, and Intel’s latest CPUs, although the default 144Hz 1080p screen remains outdated.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses their preferences and critique regarding the Nitro 5 gaming laptop. They express a wish for a larger battery akin to the higher-tier Helios 300 model, but acknowledge that the Nitro 5 remains one of the few options offering a 2.5 inch drive bay. They recommend seeking the Ryzen 6000 configuration for better battery life, though noting its limited availability compared to the more common Intel version. Other complaints include very loud fans and a wobbly screen. Pricewise, they suggest opting for the Helios 300, which shares the same CPU and GPU but is slightly more expensive, due to its improved performance and fixes over last year’s model. The speaker invites viewers to watch additional videos for more information on the Helios 300 and a comparison between Intel and AMD versions of the Nitro.